GRAAFF-REINET NEWS — In a media statement issued on Wednesday morning, 2 May, Clr Deon de Vos, the Mayor of the Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality, addressed the community of Graaff-Reinet regarding service delivery and recent decisions taken by the municipality's management.

The statement reads as follows:

"In various press statements and discussions with journalists, I have shared my view as to the expected performance of the Dr Beyer's Naudé Local Municipality.

It is well known that we want to be the best-run municipality in the country.

I was even more encouraged by the appointment of an experienced and suitably qualified top management team.

To their credit they have, with the support of Exco and Council, managed to resolve many administrative challenges faced by the municipality.

For instance, the organisational structure has been approved and management and organised labour are proceeding with the placement processes in terms of Council's Placement Policy.

Also, the issues of innumerable litigations have been dealt with in a satisfactory manner.

However, it would be daft to turn a blind eye to the cries of the community when it comes to service delivery.

Numerous articles and letters appeared lately in the local newspaper where the inhabitants of the Dr Beyer's Naudé Local Municipality vented their frustrations about the unsatisfactory standards of service delivery in our area.

In my regular Mayoral Outreaches, I am confronted by unhappy communities who have a lot to say about the unacceptable levels of service delivery. The major disappointment is that some of the issues do not require funding and can be easily resolved by a committed and passionate staff complement.

The main directorate identified by residents for poor service delivery is our Directorate Community Services. Complaints have been received internally and externally from community members on misconduct, poor working relations and non-performance within the directorate, lack of law enforcement, dirty residential areas and poor supervision. A general complaint relates to the abuse of municipal vehicles. Officials have been seen shopping and transporting their families in municipal vehicles. This is an unacceptable situation and must be eradicated.

The Accounting Officer has been tasked to investigate the situation in the Directorate Community Services and submit a report to the next Council Meeting with recommendations on corrective measures to be taken.

In light of the above, a special council meeting held on Thursday, 25 April, approved the intention to suspend the Director: Community Services for the duration of the investigations.

Council also took note of the MM's intention to simultaneously suspend the Manager Community Services and the Manager Protection Services for the same period.

During the Mayoral Outreaches, we have also been bombarded by communities with allegations of possible corrupt activities in our Supply Chain Management (SCM) Unit.

We approached the Head of Provincial Treasury for our District as well as the Acting Municipal Manager of the Sarah Baartman District Municipality, to do a preliminary investigation into two of the tenders approved by

The DBNLM.

Three officials from the SCM unit were placed on compulsory leave for the duration of the investigation. The outcome of this investigation has resulted in the Municipal Manager requesting a forensic investigation by independent investigators to look into irregularities in awarding one of the tenders.

Council acceded to the request of the Municipal Manager and noted the intention by the MM to suspend the following officials for the duration of the investigation: Manager Supply Chain and Assets, Chief Clerk Supply Chain, Senior Supply Chain Clerk and the Senior ICT officer.

I want to reassure the community that all complaints and allegations received is being seriously considered and I will ensure that consequence management is implemented to ensure we rid the organisation of any misconduct.

Criminal charges will be laid against those implicated in any form of corruption. Interim internal personnel arrangements will be made to ensure service delivery is not negatively affected.

We trust that we have the communities support in ensuring a clean administration within the municipality."

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